Baseball Theory: Non-Strikeout Outs

Non-Strikeout Outs


Baseball has quite a few accepted beliefs, strategies, etc. We’ll test a few out in this new feature here at the Mop Up Duty. First off is the amount of Non-Strikeout Outs and the counts they fall within.

The prevailing logic heading into this was the obvious, that pitchers would record the majority of their non-SO outs when ahead in the count. 2007 Season data;

non-so-outs-table.png

One word of warning with the data is that there most likely fewer deep counts vs 0 – 0, 0 – 1 contact counts. Just keep this in mind.

Even with the discrepancy between early & later in the count outcomes, this very preliminary data supports the logically conclusion that hitters are more effective later in collecting hits when they are in control of the count. The difference between 0 – 1 & 1 – 0 is about 2500 outs.

Here’s a graphically view of the data. The amount of total non-strikeout outs is on the left and the counts which they represent are at the bottom.

non-strikeout-outs-2007-mlb.jpg

I was surprised with the relatively low number of 3 – 0 outs, averaging about one per 32 games played.

Going off on a sidebar, let’s see the leaders in 3 – 0 outs for 2007.

3-0 outs 2007.png

I’m not going to defend anyone making an out on 3 – 0, that’s for sure. But check out the names on the list. The majority are run producers, with one glaring exception. Chris Snyder, what are you thinking? At best a platoon player (to this point) with a career high 47 RBI and you find yourself tied for third in 3 – 0 outs? Come on now.

Back to the main set of data, it appears that the accepted baseball norm holds true for success on in play balls vs counts, at least for the 2007 campaign.

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